BharatBerry: India's alternative to BlackBerry service

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JAIPUR: An Indian firm today launched a software service saying that it provides an alternative to the controversial BlackBerry services that have run into rough weather with the government over interception of its data.

The new service, called 'Bharat Berry', was on testing mode for the past few days and the state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot formally launched it here today.

"The issue that the online usage of BlackBerry phones cannot be monitored by the government will be fully-solved with our service 'Bharat Berry', a country made compliant product designed keeping in consideration with all necessary Indian laws and works with all BlackBerry and other phones," Data Infosys Ltd founder and CEO Ajay Data said.

He said in order to enable access to the services, including emails, users will be charged Rs 100 per month, and to ensure access and synchronization of calendar and contacts, they will have to pay Rs 50 per month.

The Bharat Berry software can be purchased online and downloaded from the website.

"The service provides advanced push-mail on BlackBerry handsets and ensures that the user remains connected to email, calendar and contacts through the servers hosted in India," said Data.

"It also provides over-the-air (OTA) synchronization of calendar and contacts to outlook, so there will be no need to take backup of attach with the computer," he said, adding that the unique service was developed with months of hard work.

Bharat Berry works through a mix of its very advanced email server known as XGeNPlus and open source technologies.

Besides, unlike BlackBerry, which has servers outside the country making interception difficult, Bharat Berry's servers are hosted in India, in compliance with security demands.

"Unchecked terrorist activities are the major concern of security agencies, as it can escape detection by using BlackBerry's coded services. We are providing a concrete solution to the problem that has left lakhs of BlackBerry phone users in limbo," Data said.

The conflict between BlackBerry and the government has created uncertainty for users.

The government has given RIM, the Canadian firm that provides BlackBerry services, time until end of January 2011 to give its intelligence agencies full access to all the its services.

There are around one million BlackBerry subscribers in India. RIM offers the BlackBerry services in 175 countries.